Questions on Agriculture of Food : Food production, pattern of consumption,agro business

1a. Read the extract provided in Fig. 1A below. Identify and describe the possible consequences that this trend may have on the production and supply of food in the world. [5]

With the increasing use of biofuels in automobiles in places such as the USA, Europe and Japan, farmers all over the world are turning away from their usual crops to grow maize, palm oil and sugar cane, which can be turned into ethanol or other biofuels. Today, almost all the land in the USA that is growing maize is now being harvested to make ethanol, instead of food for humans and farm animals. Observers are worried about the impact of this trend on food prices.

Fig 1 A

1b. Fig. 1B below shows a summary of a report from the United States Department of Agriculture. Account for the trend as stated in the table. [4]

Higher income households in the USA tend to consume…
• Less pork, beef, eggs and potatoes

• More fruits, vegetables, fish, cheese, yogurt and food away from home

Fig 1B

1c. Explain why many people in Africa and South Asia continue to suffer from starvation and lack of food, despite the availability of methods to intensify food production today. [4]

1d. Fig. 4C below shows the projected changes in food consumption in the USA between 2000 and 2020. Describe the trend in these changes, and state how these projected changes may affect food producers, as well as consumers in less developed countries. [4]


1e.Assess whether agri-businesses can help to solve the problem of starvation in the less developed world. [8]

Try to do the question first before you look at the answer.

Suggested Answer

1a. Read the extract provided in Fig. 1A below. Identify and describe the possible consequences that this trend may have on the production and supply of food in the world. [5]

1. 
   
   
   More food crops are being used for biofuels, hence reducing the amount of crops produced for food around the world.



2. 
   
   
   This may push prices of crops such as maize, palm oil and sugar cane up drastically, as the supply of these crops for food decreases.



3. 
   
   
   The price of other types of food such as meat would also increase, because farm animals that are fed food such as maize would become more expensive to rear.



4. 
   
   
   There may also be not enough food produced to feed the world’s population as a result.



5. 
   
   
   This could lead to widespread hunger and starvation.
   
   (1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)

1b. The Fig.1B below shows a summary of a report from the United States Department of Agriculture. Account for the trend as stated in the table. [4 marks]

1. People with higher incomes tend to be more educated. Hence, they are likely to be more knowledgeable about nutrition from food, and will be more health conscious.



2. Thus, they are more likely to avoid fatty meats such as pork and beef, or products with high cholesterol such as eggs. Instead, they prefer healthier food such as fruits and vegetables.



3. Households with higher incomes are also able to afford more expensive food products such as fish, and luxury products such as cheese.



4. They may also move away from more staple and cheap products such as potatoes.



5. Lifestyle may also affect the types of food consumed. As people with higher income may tend to be away from home most of the time due to busy careers, they are more likely to consume food away from home.
   (1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)
   

1c.Explain why many people in Africa and South Asia continue to suffer from starvation and lack of food, despite the availability of methods to intensify food production today. [4 marks]

1. In many parts of Africa and South Asia, natural disasters may destroy crops, leading to famine and the lack of food supplies. For example, Bangladesh is a low-lying coastal area that experiences severe seasonal flooding, which could affect food production.



2. The occurrence of war and conflicts in Africa, such as the civil wars in Sudan and Uganda, also result in less food produced. Farmers may abandon their fields to flee the war, or crops may be destroyed during on-going wars.



3. Many areas of countries in Africa and South Asia also have very limited access to food. For example, the lack of proper transport networks may result in the disruption of food supplies to rural areas.

Farmers in Africa and South Asia may not have sufficient capital to purchase farming inputs that can help to intensify food production, such as chemical fertilisers and high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds.

(1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)

1d. The Fig. 4C below shows the projected changes in food consumption in the USA between 2000 and 2020. Describe the trend in these changes, and state how these projected changes may affect food producers, as well as consumers in less developed countries. [4 marks]

1. There is a projected overall increase in the quantities of food consumed in the USA between 2000 and 2020.



2. The percentage increase in consumption differs between the types of food. The highest projected increase is in citrus fruit and fish at 27 and 26 per cent respectively, while potatoes only have a projected 8 per cent increase in consumption over this period.



3. As the USA is a large consumer market, food producers may respond to these projected changes, and switch from crops with lesser increase in consumption, such as potatoes to crops with higher demand such as citrus fruit.



4. As potatoes are considered staple food in the diets of many people in less developed countries, the lowered production of potatoes may affect their livelihoods, as they are not able to afford more expensive food like fish.
   (1 mark for one point above, accept any other plausible answer)

1e.Assess whether agri-businesses can help to solve the problem of starvation in the less developed world. [8 marks]

1. Agri-businesses consist of a whole chain of industries that produce, process, distribute and sell farm products in large quantities.



2. As agri-businesses are often large multinational companies (MNCs), they have the resources to distribute their food to all parts of the world, including less developed countries (LDCs).



3. For example, they may set up food outlets in LDCs, thus increasing the accessibility to food in these areas.



4. Agri-businesses may also employ farmers in LDCs to grow certain crop. This ensures that farmers have a stable income, and this will help countries in the less developed world to export more crops and improve their economies. With rising affluence, LDCs can fight against the problem of starvation.



5. There is an intensity of food production by agri-businesses, thus increasing food supplies in the world. With a large amount of food crops, prices of food have fallen, thus benefiting the poor of the less developed world.



6. On the other hand, as agri-businesses are profit-driven, they may find it more viable to supply their food mainly to developed countries (DCs), where demand and consumption is higher. In this case, access to food in LDCs does not improve.



7. Farmers in LDCs who are employed by agri-businesses may switch from crops that were previously supplied to the local population, to crops that cater to consumers in the DCs. This would add to the problem of starvation instead.



8. Furthermore, farmers in LDCs who are not employed by agri-businesses may find it difficult to compete with these large companies, as they do not have the capital to purchase good farming tool or make use of modern farming technologies such as an irrigation system.



9. As a result, they may be driven out of business, thus affecting the supply of food to the local population, and adding to the problem of starvation.



10. In the long term, low food prices may adversely affect the economies of countries in the less developed world. Farmers suffer a loss of income when exporting their products, and less money will be made available to alleviate the problem of starvation in these countries.
    
    
    Level 1 (0–3 marks)
    • Generic responses without details on how agri-businesses may or may not solve the problem of starvation
    • Simple statements about agri-businesses
    • No attempts at evaluation
    
    Level 2 (4–6 marks)
    • Brief descriptions on how agri-businesses may or may not solve the problem of starvation
    More developed statements about agri-businesses
    • Some attempts at evaluation, e.g. ‘Agri-businesses, while increasing the amount of food produced, may not benefit the people in the less developed world.’
    
    
    Level 3 (7–8 marks)
    • Detailed descriptions of how agri-businesses may or may not solve the problem of starvation
    • Clear statements about agri-businesses
    • Evaluation of the pros and cons of agri-businesses, e.g. ‘with a large supply of food crops, prices of food have fallen, thus benefiting the poor of the less developed world. However, in the long term, low food prices may adversely affect the economies of countries in the less developed world. Loss of income from selling crops results in less money available to alleviate the problem of starvation.